Thoughts for another day

Aug. 23, 2007

Today's verse: 1 Thess. 1:5. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

For many of us, the Gospel is the Power of God for salvation. This is good, but somehow we understand it does not have the might to solve our other problems. What does God have to say on this? Perhaps, it will shed some light on our verse for today.

God wants that the Gospel reach out everywhere and that its power be known to all. In fact, it is only through the Gospel that the Power of God is revealed. The greatest power is that in the Gospel lies the fruit of salvation and eternal life. This even when God had told Adam ‘the day you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall surely die…’ Gen. 2:17. An utterance of God is permanent and yet, through the awesome sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s power was revealed in transforming fallen man to redeemed man. What tremendous power and might is here.

Now if that for which the Gospel came into existence, which is salvation, was given to us by God, and God being a loving Father who yearns to care for us, isn’t He going to keep the other part of the Gospel revealed in Jesus’ words, …And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Of course, Christ begins this with ‘for them that believe’. And belief comes through the Gospel.

It therefore means that while we glory in the fact that we are redeemed, we must remember that God’s Gospel is like a cover that we wear to be defended from evil and catastrophe. In fact if the mere carrying of the physical book that is the Bible can save us from danger (I know of a few examples and I am one too), how much more the carrying of the Gospel in our hearts. The Gospel of Christ is an effusion of the Power of God. I’d advise you, get this power into you today. Let it reside in the inner chambers of your heart.